Below the Pretty Blue Sky
by Ryuichi-Tohma
Summary: A year later when the three heroes of dark and light were sitting in the little brunette's room, he found that sketch book that belonged to the pretty blond nobody Kairi just couldn't forget, and inside was a picture...My Sanctuary, yeah...


_Below the Pretty Blue Sky_

Disclaimer: I do not own Square or Disney. So, I do not own Kingdome Hearts. It's like this weird chain reaction thing…huh.

Well…here's a one shot. Just to remind people, I-Am-Not-Dead. Ok? So, please enjoy and you'll get more of an author's rant-note at the end. Okies, have fun.

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It had been a year since the three had come back from the unavoidable quest to save the world. Things had died down, questions had been answered as best they could and life was slowly turning back to normal for the islands.

Except for the three who had been closely involved. Though they smiled and laughed with their old friends during school, nothing was like it had been. This small group kept to themselves mostly, only able to find real comfort and reminiscent joy. They could laugh and understand things only they would, like how the awkward sexual tensions between their two older male friends back in Hallow Bastion compared with their now high school acquaintances. And how Sora's bustling and motherly ways made them think of the pink clad female. Only things the three would understand they laughed the most and hardest at while the others tilted heads in confusion.

Everyday after classes, the heroes of light and dark would meet back at the aging play island. They didn't race or sword fight, they sat on the lone landmass surrounded by over grown paopu trees, talking, sharing, and thinking. It was a routine all of them enjoyed greatly and never once missed and even did over the weekends all day.

The three were always there for each other, they even decided a few weeks after they got back to share the star shaped fruits and promise to forever remain together.

Nothing was sexual or perverse, they'd just lie together, holding hands and truly feeling happy.

However, even though it was always the three, even Kairi felt alone sometimes. She had her own experiences. All of them did really, but hers weren't as tightly wound as the boys'. Sometimes they'd talk about things she didn't understand, or vise versa. Though they all listened to each other, Riku and Sora were the ones who truly bonded.

Kairi was glad that they were closer than they'd been back before the adventure, she was even glad the two males were beginning to realize their feelings for one another, but she herself, was starting to feel more and more, little by little; isolated.

If she thought about it, those rare times she was by herself, most of her journey was alone. She'd gone through endless darkness with no one there until Sora brought her back. She wandered Traverse Town usually solo with the occasional company of Aerith or Yuffie. Traverse Town was probably one of the few places the redhead found comradeship. She found herself drawn to the ninja girl with great physical and mental interest, so the two became attached during the short stay. But then she was pulled back to Destiny Islands, and her two years there, she found herself forgetting everything and everyone, including her closest friends.

The princess struggled daily to hang on to the ever-fading memories, clutching tightly to names and writing every dream just so she could know and keep herself sane.

During those long years, she went through the hallways constantly stared at with concern or sneers, whispers of her mental stability always questions. People remembered Riku's name, but never the little brunette with wild hair and determined blue eyes. For a while, she even believed the cruel remarks about herself. However, one person confirmed her vivid memory, a woman who pleaded aguishly to anyone who would listen that she had a son, that she still had his empty room filled with pictures and his things. Kairi believed her.

One day though, it all came back, and suddenly people were asking the questions Sora's mom and Kairi had been asking all those months.

A new quest revealed itself to the strawberry-haired girl that day on. Finding Sora and Riku and getting them home. For weeks, after she had sent out a message in a bottle to the two, the determined female waited at their island everyday, sadly smiling at the newfound memories she went eagerly through.

Though, it was almost as if, those memories were narrated to her by another voice. Since that strange encounter with that boy named Roxas inside her mind, Kairi had been hearing another presence, except feminine, and this girl would tell her all the good and bad time she had, had with the lost boys.

There'd be times where Kairi would be conscious enough to ask the voice her name, but it'd never answer that question, it would just smile (oddly enough), and then keep telling stories of other worlds and stars.

A month had pass, and finally she declared loudly to herself after school that maybe waiting wasn't good enough. Another redhead made himself present, telling her to come with him because they had so much in common. The voice told her not to trust the man at all, to follow the other fury foreigner instead.

Kairi ended up in a small city called Twilight Town, where again she made friends in the short stay, but was taken away by a forceful blue haired male, where he imprisoned her and promised that'd Sora would come for her soon.

She didn't know exactly how long she sat there, agonizing at how worthless and weak she felt. The princess wasn't treated poorly, but most of the time she was alone, and she thought at which prison was worse; darkness or consciousness.

After what seemed like forever maybe, and a visit from the scarred man, that voice that was possibly the only thing that kept her company during the torturous ordeal, materialized.

Quite a beautiful little blond she was to the sapphire eyes as their owner quickly took the outstretched hand. As they ran to escape, Kairi halted somewhere in there, fingers still entwined with the other's.

"_You were the voice."_ She had said to the smaller girl.

The blond paused, but nodded and smiled gently. _"I wanted to help Sora, so I thought it would be best to help you. …But then, I found myself liking to talk to you, so I started solely aiding you."_

Kairi was touched by the spoken words. _"You really did. I kept strong because you were there to encourage that I wasn't as weak or worthless as I kept believing."_

"_You aren't weak Kairi; you're the strongest person I know. That's why I'm taking you to Sora and Riku, you'll be able to help them."_ The two intertwined their other hands, smiling at one another with great trust and feeling.

"_I'll do everything I can."_

"_I know you will."_ The small female leaned up and kissed the noble's cheek, but ended up gasping somewhat comically as she was pulled into a tight embrace by the willful girl.

The redhead found herself crying, arms firmly wrapped around the petite waist. _"You really made me stay sane, you really kept me believing in my feelings and memories. You kept me strong…and I don't even know your name…"_

A small smile graced the smooth features as the pale appendages found themselves around the other's shoulders, stroking the soft strawberry tresses. _"And you made me happy."_

Kairi wanted to question why, but knew they had to hurry and find her friends. She pulled away a little to study the beauty before her, admiring the simple pure ebony dress that defined her curves, and because she had this looming feeling that soon they'd be apart forever, the taller teen leaned down to press her lips to softer ones, never feeling more content and right about kissing another.

Many things happened after that one innocent and cherished moment. Like breaking away from the mysterious girl and running but once more meeting the berserker. She found Riku after that and then Sora. They all ran into Ansem the Wise and Xemnas. They all lost each other once more as the final battle for Kingdom Hearts truly began, and then, at long last, they were united for good back in Destiny Islands.

Kairi still never said a word about the girl named Namine who had been her savior and mental strength just last year…

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It was during spring break that Riku and Sora had come up to their only true friend and shyly told her they were lovers. Of course, Kairi squealed with delight and hugged them both unnecessarily close, shouting happily about how she always knew and that it was about time.

They celebrated that day, eating at their favorite restaurant and talking excitedly about telling Sora's mom afterwards.

Sora's mom was rater happy about it too.

Later that night, they all sat in Sora's room. Kairi carefully study pages from an elementary yearbook upon the young boy's bed, Riku growled angrily at the video game he attempted to win, and the owner of the room himself was going through a bag full of things he collected on his journey; swearing that he still had the chocobo key-chain Cloud had given him.

"Hey Riku, remember that boy in fifth grade-"

"Busy!" the silver haired male snarled, causing blue eyes to roll and hiss back.

"This is like your ninth try, I don't think you're going to get it. Sora needs to level up-"

Forcefully pausing the game, Riku turned around, glaring daggers at the girl. "You want to do it? If I cared I'd get a strategy guide."

Amused and irritated by the rude remark, the redhead only motioned her hand for the other to continue failing, mumbling under her breath about showing off to get laid.

"What's this?"

At the question, the girl turned her head towards the calmer male. "A sketch book?" yet she tilted her head to look at it better, feeling a strange since of déjà vu.

"…Oh! It's Namine's!"

The princess' eyes widened, getting up from the dark sheets to kneel next to her friend. "That's really Namine's?" nodding, the brunette handed her the artist pad, fascinated irises scanning the cover. "…May I borrow this?"

"Keep it. I mean…it was Namine's. She was your Nobody, so you should have it."

Kairi quietly thanked the other, still entranced and curious. She went open it, but a loud smack made her and the hero jump, quickly looking over at the livid teen. "What the hell!? I can destroy heartless, nobodies, and fairy tale villains! But I can't kill a digital centaur!"

The two friends almost laughed at the pathetic frustration but remained quiet and allowed the other to rant for a while before he finally grew weary and calmer, stating that sleep was needed. They all climbed into Sora's bed, the closer two curling up together more. The girl didn't mind too much, thoughts wandering back to her newly acquired sketchbook. However, as she kept thinking about getting up to get it, her eyes gradually closed and fell into a somewhat hazy dream.

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The next day the heroes set out early to their nostalgic playground, starting off with a dip in the early morning waters after the strawberry-haired female pushed the cocky male off the small harbor. They splashed and chased one another until it began to get closer to noon, fear of burning drawing them out and over to the shadier side of the island.

There, they all sat down to intake food Sora's mother prepared for them, talking and laughing like usual. It wasn't until they cleaned up their picnic that they wanted to do different things.

Telling the girl she could come join them anytime she wanted, the young lovers went off to go look around for some things they remembered they had buried somewhere, leaving the princess to herself.

Kairi sat for a while and just watched the waves, feeling at peace. She sighed deeply, enjoying the humidity and soft breezes before she finally moved to grab her other self's artist pad from the bag she packed that morning. At last, she opened it, greeted by a queer yellow design. Sapphire eyes took in the details before she flipped the page, the new image of two very familiar boys back to back, one lighter colors than the other. She smiled, tracing the lines with a finger, feeling happy that her nobody twin knew had deep feeling for each other as well.

As the redhead turned to the next page, her pupils widened and a tiny gasp escaped.

_My Sanctuary_

So many colors were splashed across the one page, two words at the top center. Flowers filled most of the space, but in the middle were two people holding hands, red ribbon wound delicately around them.

All went quiet, nothing but the sea and air, and the two tears that fell upon the gorgeous paper as Kairi hugged the book close. It was all clear then, and her spirit soared high. Life was beautiful and this young adult knew that no matter where she ended up in life she would always be somebody to somebody.

"Thank you…thank you Namine…I finally understand how I made you happy."

The clear blue sky was never so pretty…

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Whelp, that was an amusing little one shot. Bitter sweet, ne? I don't know, I was about to take a nap after I gave up on trying to write some other one shots and this image or Kairi looking through Namine's sketches after the worlds were save popped in and I just had to write a one shot about that one simple image. I like this one, and I dedicate it my sister who loves this pair and it's also her birthday. I also dedicate to Layn and Katy because I love them both dearly and they encourage the yuri fairies. XD Thanks you guys! Loves you!! X3

Anyway, reviews are welcomed greatly! Thanks for reading!

Cloud Ryu


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